St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-31
Complete Abolition of Commissions for the
Sale of Passenger Tickets at All
Points.
An Abuse of Twenty-Five Years Duration
and Growth Finally Done Away
With.
Details of the Conclusions Arrived at
in Y esterday's New York
Meeting.
The Union Pacific Directors Re-elect
Adams PRESIDENT Railway
Notes.

utlve committee of the trunk lines and the
Central Traffic association held an i'm
pOrtant meeting at Commissioner Fink's
office in this city to-day, and the result of
It's deliberation will be read with interest by
railroad men all over the country, not to
mention the sealpers. The end sought is
nothing less than the complete abolition of
commissions fol the sale of passenger
tickets all over the Countrywide inhibition
To run not only as to professional brokers'
but also as to regular agents, who have
Tor many years been allowed commissions
OH their sales of tickets over lines connect
ing with those in whose employment they
have been. The decision was reached
unanimously. and by such a large number
OF lines that it is believed that it will
prove more effective than previous attempts
III the same direction which We're put into
force only on the trunk lines. This abuse
which began more than twenty-five years
ago has grown To such enormous proper
tions that it is estimated it is now costing
the railways of the United States. directly
and indirectly. at the rate of more than
$50, 90. 600 annually and has TO a great ex-
tent been the means by which the ticket
sealpers have been built up. The Central
Traffic association has been at work for
over year i'll endeavoring to
REACH AN AGREEMENT
for the abolition of this system. but not
until now have the lines been able to reach
an unanimous concurrence. The announc-
ing the fact is issued from the rooms of the
Central Traffic association. in Chicago,
dated to-day, signed by Assistant Commits
sloner George II. Daniels and approved by
Commissioner c. r. Blanchard. 1t is
addressed to all ticket agents and
ticket sellers throughout the United
States and Canada, and cites
the action of sundry meetings
leading up 10 date. beginning with meet
ing of the Central Traffic association at
Chicago Dec. Is last. when the commits
siouer was requested to get the vote of all
the lines in the Central Traffic association
territory on the subject of abolishing COM
missions. The next meeting was held in
New York the Sd inst, at which the
general passenger agents of the trunk lines,
the Central Traffic association, the New
England Passenger association and the
Southern Passenger association. as we'll as
large number of lines il New England,
New York. New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
not members of the above associations, rep
resented ninety-two transportation COM
panies. The meeting unanimously recon-
mend the total stoppage of commission
payments, not merely to Scalpers, but to the
regular ticket agents of the roads them
selves. and that all proper means be used
to secure concurrent action without delay.
On the following day this action was ap-
proved by the presidents and managers,
joint committee. and the commissioner was
instructed to issue a circular covering that
action. The circular
PROCEEDS AS FOLLOWS.
In accordance with the above action you
are hereby notified that no commission or
other compensation of ary kind or character
will be paid or participated in by the under
mentioned lines, for the sale of tickets or for
the securing Of passenger traffic over these
lines, or any of them from and after April ],
1881, by authority of the managing officers
of the roads here signed. Allegheny Valley;
Baltimore Ohio; Buffalo, New York &
Philadelphia; Cincinnati, St. Louis s.
Chicago; Cincinnati jackson & Mackinaw;
Chicago 4 West Michigan: Cincinnati
Wabash & Michigan; Cincin natl, Washington
Baltimore; Columbus Cinciunati; Mid
land, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati s. In
dianapos; Chicago & Atlantic; Cleveland,
Alton s Columbus; Chicago Grand Trunk;
Champaign & Havana line; Columbus, Hook
ing Valley u Toledo; Chicago St. Louis &
Pittsburg: Cincinnati, Hamilton L. Dayton:
Dayton Ironton; Detroit. Lansing s. North
ern; Detroit, Grand Haven IL Milwau-
keei EFausNiIle Ierre Huute; Grand
Trunk: Grand Rapids Indiana; Indianap-
oils & st. Louis; Indiana, Illinois &
Iowa: Indiana. Bloomington s. Western:
Indiana Illinois Southern; Indianapolis,
Decatur & Springfield; Jacksonville, Madison
& Indianapolis; Kanawha Il Ohio; Lake
Shore IL Michigan Southern; Lake Erie s.
Western; Louisville Nashville; Louisville
Evansville & St Louis; Michigan Central
Michigan 4 Ohio; New York, Pennsylvania g.
Ohio; New DIRK, Lake Erie Western: New
York, Chicago & St. Louis; Ohio & Mis-
sissppi; Ohio Central; Ohio & Northwestern;
Pittsburg Western; Pennsy lvania company;
Peoria, Decatur & Evansville: Pittsburg s.
Lake Erier Pittsburg, Cincinnati s. st. Louis;
Scotia Valley, Saginaw Valley & st. Louis
Toledo, Annapolis & Northern Michigan; To-
ledo, Columbus & Southern; Toledo s. OHIO
Central; Terre Haute Il Indianapolis Van
dalia Line, Toledo, Peoria & w estern; Wabash
st. Louis Pacific Cines east of the Missis-
sippi river, Wheeling & Lake Erie.
In addition to the above, the following lines
in the Central Traffic association have notified
this Office that they pay no commissions, and
commissions have been eliminated by most of
the New England roads of their own volitiou
Heilaire, GAINESVILLE Il Cincnuati: Cincinnati
southern: Cieveland, Lorraine & Wheeling
Cleveland & Marietta: Cincinnati. Georgetown
y Portsmouth,: Cleveland Canton & Fort
Wayne; Cincinnati & Louisville; Illinois, mid
land and valley railroads.
THE IMPORTANCE
of the movement may be estimated when it
is understood that the various associations
agreeing to abolish ticket commissions COM
prise the Central Traffic assoc alton, COM
posed of all important lines east of Chicago
and st. Louis and west of the western
termini of the trunk lines; the lines of the
trunk lines territory. which include all
lines between Buffalo. Salamanca and
Wheeling on the west and New York,
Philadelphia and Baltimore on the east; the
Southern Passenger association which COM
prises all the important lines east of the
Mississippi and south of the Ohio and Po-
tomac, and the New England association
comprising all the important railroad lines
i'll New England. The agreement is made
more binding by another clause providing
that neither of the agreeing companies will
act as agents for connecting lines who con-
tinue to pay their agents commission. The
joint committee discussed the trouble with
the Grand Trunk railroad, but finally de-
cided to take no action in the premises.
The managers meeting. however, held
after the adjournment OF the joint commit
tee and composed of nearly the same per-
sons decided in view Of the support given
the rule abolishing scalping, to concede the
Grand Trunk differential in east bound
passenger rates. They are allowed 81. sc
on passengers from Chicago to. New York
and SO OIL Chicago to Boston via Montreal
and this is placed in the schedule.